Oil candles are commonly used for clergy purposes, but have also been widely used for restaurant, florist, wedding, or other purposes.
For many reasons, consumers prefer to use oil candles instead of conventional beeswax candles. First, beeswax candles melt when used; therefore, the longer the candle is in use, the shorter it becomes. Aesthetically, it is often undesirable to have candles that vary in length. In addition, beeswax candles have a tendency to drip during use, leading to wax build-up that requires clean-up. Finally beeswax candles are susceptible to the elements; for instance, wind can adversely affect a candle's performance.
Oil candles, while preferred to conventional beeswax candles, also suffer from disadvantages. For instance, oil candles require refueling. In many early model oil candles and some modern candles, users must disassemble the candle and add oil to refuel it. Many consumers find refueling to be cumbersome and inconvenient. In an effort to reduce the time and effort spent refueling oil candles, manufacturers developed oil candles with disposable fuel cells. A disposable fuel cell enables the user to refuel an expended oil candle by simply removing the empty cell and replacing it with a new one. Although, disposable fuel cells have made refueling easier, there are other disadvantages to be considered.
For instance, many conventional oil candles include a disposable fuel cell or bottle and a reusable shell. Manufacturers often make the reusable shell of glass, metal, or a fire-resistant plastic so that the shell does not melt. Moreover, to retain the look of a conventional beeswax candle, manufacturers often produce exterior shells having the same shape and color of ordinary beeswax candles. Unfortunately, reusable shells of this kind are quite costly. Furthermore, in addition to the high cost of the exterior shell, many consumers find it inconvenient to have to continuously remove and replace empty fuel cells.
Conventional oil candles can also be unsafe. Generally, a disposable fuel cell is inserted into the candle and is left unsecured so that it can be easily removed from the exterior shell. While this allows users to have easy access to remove and replace an empty cell, it also provides others with the same opportunity. The removal of the fuel cell from the candle can pose a serious safety hazard. Individuals who want to vandalize a candle or simply remove a fuel cell to save an insignificant amount of money by refilling an empty cell instead of replacing it with a new one are free to do so. Many conventional oil candles do not include safety features to deter the removal of the fuel cell.
Yet another disadvantage associated with ordinary oil candles is the lack of versatility. Since there is no universal size for candle holders, no single oil candle can satisfy the needs of all consumers. For instance, most candle holders are either two inch, one and one-half inch, seven-eighths of an inch, one and one-eighth of an inch, or "all purpose end" sized holders. Therefore, manufacturers must produce many different sized oil candles to satisfy the needs of their consumers. Furthermore, consumers are burdened by having to check the size of their holder to make sure that the candles they order are the correct size.
We have developed an oil candle that is not only superior to conventional beeswax candles, but is also cheaper to manufacture, less expensive to ship, easier to use, safer, and more versatile than existing oil candles.